


The Chef

by xoxodelvidestruction



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Chef AU, Cooking, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:21:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxodelvidestruction/pseuds/xoxodelvidestruction
Summary: Running a restaurant is hard work, but everything outside it? That's even worse.
Relationships: Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr, Robert Kubica/Inkeri Pedersen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Meetings & Mishaps

Robert looked around the pristine kitchen. He enjoyed showing up fifteen minutes early, reveling in the silence, and cleanliness, of the restaurant before other staff arrived. This was his favourite part of the day.

He reached for the coffee pot, rinsing it before starting a fresh pot for the opening staff. He thought it was an important ritual. Each morning the first group would gather around with a cup and talk through concerns or new ideas. It kept them working together, kept them a team.

George was the first to arrive. He was  _ always  _ the first to arrive, perpetually ten minutes early for his shift. The Brit couldn't even imagine the horror of running late.

Lando, on the other hand, was consistently five minutes late. He would rush in, clothes askew and curly hair wild, obviously just out of bed. He wanted to do well, but he also wanted to stay up late playing video games with his roommates.

Every morning he arrived with a harried-looking Carlos. He was the eldest of Lando''s roommates at 24 and felt responsible for the teenager. Carlos did his best to keep Lando moving, but the younger always managed to forget something or fall back asleep after his wakeup call.

Antonio, the sous chef, breezed in around the same time. He also had a problem with punctuality, but he always turned up perfectly polished, something very intentional about his late arrival. He tended to make an entrance, flipping his long hair behind his ears and pulling his sunglasses off with a flourish.

Robert gathered his flock around, knowing Tuesday afternoon was their slowest time of the week. People normally turned out in droves for the legendary food and picturesque patio, but Tuesdays were always empty. As a result, Kubica had taken to introducing new items on this day so the boys had time to learn and get comfortable with the new menu item. He sighed, looking over Lando's inside-out shirt.

“Sainz, can you help him?” he asked, nodding towards Lando. Lando looked down at the backwards lettering on the front of his shirt, finally realizing it was on the wrong way. His cheeks went red at the '”Ay!” that escaped Carlos.

“No, no, no. I can manage,” he giggled, swatting Carlos' hands away as the Spaniard tried to pull his top off for him.

“Couldn't manage the first time,” Carlos mumbled under his breath, shaking his head. George looked nervously at his watch, forcing himself not to point out the time. Kubica would be aware, and, even if he wasn't, he didn't like being rushed.

“I know we're starting a few minutes late, Georgie,” he said, reading the young man's mind and the worry on his face. “We're just refreshing a classic recipe today so it's fine,” he reassured, reaching for his apron. After two months of wearing the gag gift the staff had given him, he barely even frowned at the 'Kiss the Cook' written on it in Italian. “Gio, will you grab the pan to your left?” 

Antonio handed him the heavy skillet, ignoring Lando's mutterings about not having a nickname. Kubica was sparing with his praise and even more sparing with showing familiarity. Lando was the newest member of the group, and Kubica's least favourite after the great tomato incident of last week.

“Alright, so today we are just going to relearn the carbonara. There were a few comments recently about its quality slipping so I want to go through it again,” Kubica began, pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator.

He walked through the recipe with practiced ease, practically able to make the Italian staple in his sleep. He crisped the pancetta perfectly each time, cringing at the crackling and spattering grease from Carlos' pan. Gio caught the expression and made his way over to Carlos, correcting the temperature and pouring off some of the oil.

Customers began trickling in as Robert finished his final cup of coffee for the day. He allowed himself two cups before switching to water for the rest of the day. It was all part of a carefully honed routine.

He looked over the rest of the staff trickling in, shaking his head at Daniel's incredibly loud laughter already. He was always the noisiest of the bunch, but he kept everyone else in a good mood so it was worth it.

Alex and Pierre rushed back and forth, taking beverages to tables and returning with food orders for the kitchen. Everyone moved like a well oiled machine, putting a proud smile on Kubica's face.

The smile slipped as he heard clattering coming from the back of the kitchen. He moved through the kitchen to investigate, unsurprised to find Carlos covered in flour and Lando blushing bright red.

“I tried to flip the dough in one large chunk, and it just... poofed,” he explained, gesturing with his hands.

“Pieces the size of your fist, Norris,” Kubica reminded, catching sight of the perfect white handprint on the back of Carlos' black slacks. “White pants in the kitchen.”

“Laundry day,” Carlos answered sheepishly, his shoulders pulling up. Lando, however, noticed the handprint, doubling over with laughter.

“Just keep your hands washed.” Robert grinned at the shocked expression on Carlos' face as he noticed the mark, moving on to start cooking as Carlos glared at Lando.

“Hey boss,” Daniel said loudly, trying to catch the attention of the others in the kitchen. Kubica didn't pause, reaching for an egg. His eyes flicked over to the Australian, indicating he was listening. “That blonde girl is back,” he said, a gigantic smile on his face as the egg slipped from Kubica's fingers.

“What girl?” he asked, trying to look unfazed. Robert swore under his breath, reaching for a cloth to wipe up the smashed egg from the counter.

“What girl?” George echoed, grinning at his boss as he tried to mimic his accent. Gio walked past, carrying an order to the ready window, making kissy noises as he went.

“What was your brilliant conversation last time she was in?” Dan pondered out loud, rubbing his chin. His grin turned evil as he pretended to remember. “Oh, that's right! You translated your apron for her.”

“Kiss the cock,” Gio laughed loudly, shaking his head at the memory of his stoic boss blushing. The look of horror on his face had been the most expressive any of them had seen Robert be.

“It was a slip!” Robert hissed, trying to ignore their taunts and get back to cooking. His ears were still tipped red, but he had managed to get his usual stony expression back in place.

In truth, it had been the most embarrassing moment of his life. The woman in question had come in a few times with a small group of friends. 

One day, the restaurant was slow enough that Robert had sent most of the staff home. There were only a few takeaway orders left, and he didn't see the sense in making anyone else stay. Unfortunately for him, Dan was the one who volunteered to stay and help him close.

She had been the last one in to pick up her order, dripping wet from the sudden rainstorm outside. Kubica still wasn't sure why, but he offered her a cup of coffee, wanting the beautiful woman to stay just a little longer.

“I’m Inkeri,” she said with a bright smile, nodding her thanks as he put the cup in front of her. “You're not going to make me drink this alone, are you?” she asked, gesturing to the entirely empty restaurant. Robert poured another cup, an ill-advised third cup, and slowly pulled out a chair, perching nervously on the edge.

They talked about his restaurant and her job as an engineer for ten pleasant minutes. It was going incredibly well, and Robert was almost brave enough to ask for her phone number. However, then the inevitable slip up happened.

“I hate to admit it, but my Italian is terrible. What's it say?” she asked, pointing to the apron he had forgotten he was wearing.

“Kiss the cock... Cook!” he answered confidently, his voice nearly a shout as he corrected himself immediately, eyes comically wide with horror. He leapt up from the table and hurried into the back, never reappearing. Daniel had watched the mortifying scene from the kitchen, relaying it to all of his coworkers, and anyone else who would listen, in excruciating detail.

“So,” Gio said, interrupting Robert's memory. “Are you going to talk to her?”

“No,” Robert replied, shaking his head firmly.

“Oh c'mon, we all make silly mistakes,” Lando chimed in, tossing a ball of dough. He would have missed the table entirely, but Carlos was watching him. He easily caught the bread, placing it on its intended target.

“Lando would definitely know,” Carlos added, easily dodging Lando's hand as he tried to smack him.

“I kind of enjoy that nothing frightens you except for that tiny, little lady out there,” Daniel commented, glancing out at the woman. “Fire? No trouble. Sharp knives? Comfortable. 150 centimeter woman? Worse than Saw!” Daniel exaggerated, cupping his hands over his mouth in mock-horror. Robert rolled his eyes.

The taunts got worse and worse. The boys took turns making up increasingly outlandish things that were less frightening than Inkeri. Finally, Kubica accepted that he wouldn't get any peace until he went out there. Besides, she probably wasn't as intimidating as he remembered.

Robert grabbed the plated food for her table, carrying it over to the two people sitting by the window. He hadn't anticipated her being with a friend, but it wouldn't matter. He could still do this.

His mouth went dry as he approached them. Inkeri was even better than he remembered. He realised he had been standing next to the table for an awkward length of time when she cleared her throat, her grey eyes shining as she looked up at him.

“”Well, if it isn't Mr. Innuendo-and-run,” she grinned, enjoying how red his ears went.

“I am very sorry about that,” he apologized, carefully sitting the plates down.

“You definitely have a unique flirting style,” she replied, wondering if he was going to ask for her number this time. She had been coming in once a week hoping to catch his attention.

“Ask her now,” Alex said out of the side of his mouth, walking behind Kubica as he carried a tray to the next table. Robert closed his eyes for a moment, internally cringing at how obvious that had been.

“Ask me?” Inkeri inquired, raising a brow at him. “Got a question for me, chef?” she continued, resting her chin on her hand.

“Just give him your number, Inks. The food is getting cold, and I'm too hungry to watch you keep toying with him,” her friend interrupted, kicking her under the table. Inkeri stared at her for a moment, the other girl not even looking up from her plate. “Stop pretending you haven't been carrying a business card with your mobile scribbled on the back for weeks.” This time, it was Inkeri's ears that went red. She reached into her bag and pulled out the aforementioned card, handing it to Kubica. He grinned broadly and tucked it into his shirt pocket. Inkeri smiled up at him before turning back to her food, glancing up to watch him head back to the kitchen.

Robert walked into the kitchen, flinching at the cheers that went up from his staff. They were all squeezed together at the front, watching him through the ready window.

“Yea, yea, back to work,” he chided, unable to wipe the grin completely off his face.


	2. Home for the Holidays

Robert walked up the stairs to Inkeri’s apartment, his nerves fluttering a little bit more with each step. He had asked for her number almost two weeks ago but hadn’t used it yet. Antonio had been out sick at the restaurant which added to his already long work hours, and on top of that, he’d recently found out his father had broken his leg and needed Robert to come home for Christmas. 

Kubica dreaded going home. It was one of his least favourite places to visit. His relationship with his father was very poor, and he knew Artur had only requested his son come home to put him to work cleaning up the yard or some other task he had been putting off. 

Right about now, though, he was dreading seeing Inkeri. He had volunteered to take her delivery order, wanting an opportunity to talk to her face to face, but the closer he got, the more he worried she might not be happy to see him. 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Robert raised his hand, knocking on her door. There was the sound of a chain being slid out of the lock, and then Inkeri pulled the door open. 

“Oh, it’s you,” she said, looking shocked to see him. Robert’s smile wavered. “I… hi,” she stammered. 

“Last delivery of the night,” he shrugged, holding up the bag of food. “Lando needed to be home on time so I offered. Didn’t want to send him the opposite way.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Robert had told Norris to take off, not wanting to endure any teasing over delivering Inkeri’s food. 

“That’s very kind of you,” she nodded, her expression not matching her words. 

“I try to be a good boss,” Robert continued, not sure how to confess why he was really here. There was a bit of commotion on the stairs before a familiar head of curly hair appeared on the stairs. 

“Bossman!” Lando cheered, continuing up the stairwell with a small group of people. Robert’s face went white. 

“He lives two floors up,” Inkeri commented, leaning against the doorframe. 

“I’m sorry. I should-”

“It’s ok, honestly. I just wish you would have told me you weren’t interested any more. Or, not asked for my number,” she interrupted. To her credit, Inkeri didn’t look upset, just disappointed. 

“I  _ am _ interested, things just…” Robert trailed off as Inkeri held her hands up.

“Robert, it’s really fine. You don’t have to explain.” She shifted in the doorway, reaching into her pocket for money. “Can I just get my food before it gets cold?” 

“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head. Inkeri looked a little surprised, her hand still extended. “I mean, I want to explain,” he corrected, holding out the bag of food. “I took a huge chance and packed two dinners on the off-chance that I could convince you to let me eat with you.” 

Inkeri looked torn. She wavered, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Robert could tell she wanted to let him in, but there was something holding her back. 

“Inkeri, I am very interested. Please give me another chance,” he said sincerely, his expression completely open. 

“Just promise me it won’t become a habit,” she replied quietly, her fingers resting against his on the handle of the bag. 

Robert nodded firmly. Inkeri stared at him for a few extra moments before stepping back into her apartment, inviting him in. 

After dinner, Kubica gathered up the empty food containers. He tossed them into the trash and wiped off the kitchen counter. 

Inkeri watched him from her spot at the table. It was nice having someone else in the apartment.

Robert poured two fresh glasses of wine and walked back towards her. Inkeri stood up and directed him towards the couch, taking the glass he offered. It only took a few minutes before they were comfortably cuddled together, Inkeri’s legs rested across his lap. 

“I have to go home this weekend,” Robert groaned, jumping right into the thing he didn’t normally talk to people about. 

“You know, most people sound a little happier about going home for the holidays,” Inkeri teased. 

“My mom is incredible. My dad…” he trailed off, grimacing. Inkeri nodded, watching him closely. “What about you? Big Christmas plans?” 

“Definitely,” she grinned, nodding emphatically. “The Chinese place across the street does a very cute holiday take away. So I’ll be indulging in a feast and watching Die Hard.” Robert gaped at her. 

“That’s your big plan for tomorrow?” 

“Oh yes,” she confirmed, nudging his leg with her foot. “I never invite anyone else, but..”

“But?” Kubica tilted his head, wondering if she was really going to let him in. 

“You just might have scored an invite if you weren’t already busy,” she shrugged. Kubica grinned at her. 

“I’m going to count that as a win anyway. You know I have a plane ticket, but you invited me,” he told her, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Speaking of, what time is your flight?” Inkeri asked, sitting her wine glass on the coffee table. She swung her legs over the edge of the couch, twisting her body around to lean against him. Robert glanced at his watch before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

“I need to leave for the airport now basically.” Kubica rested his cheek against the top of her head. He was very glad that she had let him inside. 

Inkeri made a noise of protest, snuggling her face into his chest. She wrapped her arm tightly around him. After a few seconds, she lifted her head, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. 

“Alright,” she murmured, sitting up. “The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.” Robert chuckled and nodded. 

“Just keep thinking like that,” he agreed, pushing up from the couch. He gathered up his things, shoving his phone and wallet back into his pockets. “I’ll be back in four days, and then, I’m taking you on a proper date.” 

“I suppose you’re worth the wait,” Inkeri quipped, giggling as Robert pulled her to him. He dipped her back in a dramatic Hollywood-style kiss, feeling incredibly smug at the breathless expression on her face when he pulled back. “Ok, totally worth the wait.” 

Inkeri rolled over in bed, glad she had decided to hide away here once Robert had left. She had switched her phone to loud, surprised at how badly she hoped Kubica would call once he landed. 

They had only had one dinner together, but the conversation had flowed easily. Inkeri had told Robert things she hadn’t mentioned to anyone else, and she was surprised at how comfortable she was already. It felt like Kubica was a missing piece that fit perfectly into her life. 

Inkeri sighed and picked up her mobile. There were no calls or notifications on her phone, and she wondered what had woken her up. She sat up quickly, hearing a noise at her front door. It sounded like a knock. 

She padded down the hallway, picking up the cricket bat she kept hidden behind the couch. Standing on her tiptoes, she looked out the peephole. 

“What…” she started, going silent as she opened the door. Kubica was standing in the hallway, his hat and jacket dusted with snow. “What are you doing here?” 

“Have you looked outside lately?” he grinned, rubbing his hands together. His face was red from the cold. “Sorry, can I come in? It’s shockingly cold in your building.” 

“Oh, yea.” Inkeri shook her head, jumping out of the way. “You’re covered in snow,” she mentioned, helping him out of his jacket to prevent it from getting everywhere. “Snow!” she gasped, looking like it had finally sunk in. 

Inkeri dashed across her apartment, pulling back the curtains on the window. Her eyes were giant as she looked out at the winter wonderland now outside. The snow was falling so thickly that she couldn’t even see the building across the street. 

“Flight was cancelled?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. Robert nodded, carefully taking off his hat. “And you came here?” He went still, fingers pausing untying his boots. 

“Oh, that’s very presumptuous of me,” he said out loud, looking a little surprised at his own behaviour. “I can go if you want.” 

“No, no. At the very least, you can get warm. I was just curious,” she continued, turning around to face him. “Coffee?” 

“That would be great.” Robert finished shucking his boots, sitting them by the front door. “I got almost to the airport before they announced the storm was coming in and all flights had been grounded. The bus took us back to the main station, but then they announced they couldn’t continue running their routes,” he explained, following her into the kitchen. 

“How did you get here?” 

“I walked,” he shrugged, sitting down at the table. Inkeri’s eyes went wide again, and she turned to look at him. 

“I live almost ten kilometers from the main station.” 

“That’s why it’s so late,” Robert grinned, rubbing his hands together again. “I live another fifteen from here,” he added, looking at her gratefully as she placed a steaming mug of coffee into his hands. 

“So I’m convenient,” Inkeri mentioned, sitting down across from him. She grinned at the expression on his face. “Kidding.” 

“A tiny bit I didn’t want to keep walking in the snow, mostly I remembered your invitation,” he replied, looking apprehensive. Inkeri tilted her head a little, waiting to see if he’d say anything else. When he was still quiet, she gave him a comfortable out. 

“You can admit it’s the Christmas feast from East Gourmet that you really came back for,” she smiled, reaching across the table to take his hand. Robert grinned, looking relieved. 

“You caught me.” Robert tugged on her hand, encouraging Inkeri to get up from her seat. He pulled her into his lap, resting his chin on her shoulder. 

“Kubica?” Inkeri asked quietly, keeping her gaze forwards. He nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck, humming to let her know he was listening. “I’m really glad you’re here.” 

“Happy Christmas, Inkeri,” he murmured, tightening his arm around her waist. “Next year, we should get a little tree.” 

“Next year,” she agreed, feeling warm and fuzzy at how confident she actually felt in ‘next year’. 


	3. Counting Down

The kitchen was swarming with people. Despite Robert’s repeated chastisements, everyone was congregating in the back. They were too full of chatter and happiness for the last day of the year.

Lando was the most distracted, leading some of the others in a silly song. It wasn’t familiar to Kubica, but he imagined it must have been some sort of drinking song without the activity. 

The restaurant would be closing in fifteen minutes, but there were still two tables waiting for food. It wasn’t unusual to have stragglers on a Friday night, especially not on a holiday. 

Despite the customers, Dan was already firing off a few poppers. He was being rambunctious, but he was also being careful to keep the confetti out of the cooking area. So Kubica decided to let it go this time. 

“Dios Mio, stop it!” Gio complained loudly, clapping his free hand over the ear closest to all of Dan’s noise making. He hated all of the snapping sounds. 

“Did you say stop it?” Dan repeated, faking concern. 

“Yes! It is so loud. It’s given me a dozen heart attacks,” he whined, walking to the counter to set out the order he had just finished. 

“This one’s quiet,” Alex added, breezing into the kitchen. He held up a small cardboard tube, shooting a puff of glitter in Antonio’s face. “Oops,” he gasped, snapping a hand over his mouth in shock. 

Giovinazzi stood stock still, his eyes and mouth scrunched closed. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking in surprise. His entire face was coated in gold glitter. 

“I didn’t mean to…” Alex tried to apologise, starting to giggle. Dan walked by, doubling over with laughter as he caught sight of the sous chef. His loud noises caught the attention of the others and soon there was an entire crowd. 

“The enthusiasm is good but stay away from the food,” Robert said, not even cracking a small smile at the state of Gio. He stepped through the kitchen door, scooping up the plates and delivering them to the final group. The waiters were too busy laughing, but Kubica was grateful for a second to compose himself, not wanting to crack in front of the staff. 

“Look at him,” Lando said, pointing at Gio. He was laughing so hard there were tears on his cheeks. 

“Oh pal,” Dan chuckled, tossing an arm around Antonio’s neck. Antonio was still coughing a bit, trying to get the glitter out of his mouth. A light flashed in his eyes, and he realised Dan had taken a selfie with him. 

Gio made a loud noise of protest, pushing Dan away from him. He wiped at his face, frowning at his glitter covered hands. Alex was still standing next to him, so his shirt got used as a towel, shimmering with the remnants Antonio had wiped off. 

George was trying to avoid the fray, unsuccessfully skirting the group. Alex wrapped him in a hug, exaggeratedly rubbing his chest on George. 

“Nooo,” he groaned, trying to get away. 

“Guys, quiet down,” Kubica instructed, holding out his hand to shush them. Everyone went silent for a moment, hearing a bell in the distance. The last table had finally left for the night. They all let out a collective sigh. “Alright, staff,” Robert began, untying his apron. He tossed a towel at Antonio. “Clean up, and then get to your festivities.”

“Bossman out before the rest of us?” Dan questioned, bouncing his eyebrows. 

“Big plans? Romantic plans?” Carlos chimed in, doing a little salsa in place. 

“Going to sweep her off her feet?” Alex asked, grabbing one of the flowers out of an arrangement and biting it in his teeth. 

“Give us the details, boss,” George snickered, resting his chin on his hand. Robert sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. 

Antonio had dusted off enough of the glitter to join in, giving Robert a wink. “Yeah, how much begging did it take to convince you to go to a party?” 

“A party?” Lando queried. 

“With people?” George added, his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. 

“I shouldn’t have told you,” Robert groused, glaring at Antonio. Gio smirked and shrugged. Kubica’s hand shot out, and he grabbed another of the little glitter tubes, spraying Antonio with a different colour of glitter. 

Robert scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He felt more polished, primped, and out of place than he had in years. His cashmere sweater was a little too warm despite the chill in the air, and his suede driving moccasins left him feeling flat-footed. 

He knocked on Inkeri’s door, and every single worry melted away as she answered, a bright smile on her face. She was happy to see him. That look always made him feel at ease, feel content. 

“You scrub up well,” Inkeri commented, looking him over from head to toe. “I feel very lucky to get this level of fancy from you.” Robert gave her a half grin. 

“Who says it’s for you?” he teased. “I like to look my best when I go out.” Inkeri snorted and shook her head, reaching out to pull him into the apartment. 

“Oh,” she mused, running her hand over his arm and across his back. “Now I get it,” she continued, smoothing her fingers over the fabric. Robert looked a little confused, but he definitely didn’t mind the feeling of her hands moving over his shoulders now.

“G-get what?” he stammered, his train of thought slipping as her fingers travelled over his chest and down his abdomen. 

“Your soft sweater. It’s just a clever ploy to get me to touch you,” she explained, scooting a bit closer. 

Kubica made a noise of understanding, grinning at her. He let her push him towards the couch, not worrying about the time. He sat in the corner, resting against the arm. Inkeri kicked off her shoes and sat next to him, swiveling her body to cozy up to him. Robert slipped his arms around her waist, holding her back against his chest. He dotted a few kisses over the back of her shoulder. 

“So I’ve been thinking,” Inkeri said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence they had fallen into. 

“So that was the whirring noise.” 

“Rude,” she snorted, elbowing him. “Before you were snippy, I was going to say I think we should just stay in. Now, though, I wonder if I can stomach being alone with you for-” 

Robert interrupted her with a kiss, stopping her words. “No, no. I like this stay in idea,” he agreed, pulling her into his lap. 

“Yeah?” Inkeri murmured, smiling against his mouth as he kissed her again. “I guess it’s a good thing I got a bottle of champagne just in case,” she added, nodding towards the fridge. 

“That is lucky.” Robert carefully extracted himself from her, getting up from the couch. He could tell from the look on Inkeri’s face that things were paused until she got some champagne. He held out his hand, helping her up. “Or planned,” Kubica said slowly, opening the fridge to reveal three bottles of champagne. 

“Planned,” she admitted with a nod. 

“I thought we were meeting your friends?” Robert asked, tilting his head to look at her. Inkeri bit the inside of her cheek, unsure how to tell him everything.

“Eh, I see them all the time.” 

“Inkeri…” 

“I talked to Antonio,” she said slowly, looking at her feet. “He mentioned something about you not really liking parties and a bigger something about you basically never leaving the restaurant.” 

“That’s not true… well, entirely true,” Kubica corrected. “I like hanging out with you. So going to a party with you would be good.” 

“And spending the little time you do take off as just the two of us would be better,” Inkeri confessed, looking up at him. “So what do you say to us trying to figure out how to use that little fireplace thing and staying home? Just you, me, that incredible sweater, and some champagne.” 

“As long as you stay away from the fire, and let me figure that one out, I’m in,” he replied with a smile.

“Could your resolution be to be less sassy?” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” he shrugged, wandering back into the living room. Inkeri was still smiling as she pulled out the first bottle. She really liked relaxed Kubica. 


	4. Team Building

Kimi laced up his skates a little tighter, making sure they were done up just right. He tilted his foot this way and that, making a quick face once he was satisfied with the fit. 

Next to him, Antonio looked a bit green. He hadn’t wanted to come to the hockey rink at all, but once Robert had a team building exercise in his head, there was no avoiding it. As sous chef, Tonio was deemed very necessary for a functional group. 

There were muffled giggles and scuffling coming from the other side of the locker room. Lando was actively trying to lace up Carlos’ skates for him, failing miserably due to Carlos’ constant squirming. 

“Landito, let me do my own,” he grumbled, his fingers getting tangled in the laces as they scrapped. 

“Bet he’s never said that before,” Dan winked, chiming in on their fun. Carlos went bright red at the innuendo, and Lando snorted with laughter. 

Alex sighed from beside Dan, rolling his eyes. “Guys, I know you’re just having fun, but can we just get this over with?” 

“Big plans later?” Carlos asked, wiggling his eyebrows. They all knew Alex and George were sneaking off together, but the pair still thought they were a secret. It provided lots of teasing for the group. 

“Just because we don’t all want to be here freezing, doesn’t mean anyone’s got plans later,” George commented, trying to feign nonchalance. 

“Sure,” Dan replied dubiously, giving George an exaggerated nod. He turned to Daniil and repeated what George had said, glancing over at Alex. “George just doesn’t want to freeze.” 

“Stop talking. It’s time to learn,” Kimi interrupted, his tone flat. He got up from the bench and marched off without a second glance. 

“I didn’t think anyone could be less chatty than Robert,” George whispered, glancing around at the other guys. 

“He’s king of the smiles now that he’s finally getting some,” Lando joked. He expected a hearty laugh from the group, and when he received none, he felt a very deep chill run down his spine. 

“If you’re all done gossiping, we’ve got teambuilding to do,” Kubica groused, giving Lando a too long stare. It took the tiniest bit of effort to keep a straight face as the curly headed cook went white as a sheet, starting to shrink under his gaze. Robert was starting to like Lando quite a bit, but he couldn’t resist terrorizing him a bit when such a good opportunity presented. 

“Right, boss. On it, boss,” Dan said loudly, standing up and giving Robert a salute. 

“Put that energy into something useful.” Dan laughed and nodded, awkwardly walking past Kubica. Most of the group followed, carefully balanced on their skates. “C’mon, Gio. It’s just a bit of sport,” Kubica continued, pausing next to the sous chef. He patted him on the shoulder, knowing the Italian wasn’t a big fan of sports that included lots of contact. 

“Hey,” Antonio said suddenly, looking Robert up and down. “Why aren’t you participating?” Robert frowned a little. He clearly didn’t have a good answer. 

“I’m the boss. I don’t need to work with the team. I lead the team,” he shrugged, at a loss for any better reason. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought about it. 

“You  _ have _ to work with us,” Gio corrected, looking surprised. “Get some skates.” 

“Oh, I don’t-”

“I’ll call Inkeri and tell her if you don’t,” Tonio threatened, watching as Kubica considered it. He was now really regretting letting Antonio have Inkeri’s number. Initially, he’d wanted to be extra certain he was reachable in case of emergencies, but now, that really didn’t seem worth it. “You know she’ll agree with me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I hate that you’re in cahoots,” Robert grumbled, grabbing a pair of skates off the rack. He flopped onto the bench and swapped his shoes. 

“This is just a simple version of hockey. You’ll split into two teams and try to get the puck,” Kimi explained, holding up the black object, “into the net,” he continued, pointing to the goals at either end of the rink. 

Kimi skated down the line of boys, handing each a hockey stick as he went. He moved like skating was his natural state, graceful and fluid. He was certainly the only one. 

Lando was predictably awkward, his style very akin to watching a baby deer stand up for the first time. He clung on to Carlos frequently, hindering their gameplay and nearly pulling Carlos down a dozen times. 

Alex wasn’t too bad, but he had no ability to skate in anything but a straight line. If someone could manage to put the puck directly in front of him, he could move it down the entire rink. Otherwise, he just moved up and down between the nets, watching the game around him. 

Daniil had been skating many times so he was adept at moving around the rink. His big downfall was his aggressiveness. Despite being fairly thin, he managed to make himself look massive as he angrily skated around, shoulders square and jaw set. It was very far from graceful. 

Robert was semi-coordinated, but he hadn’t quite figured out how to successfully utilise his hockey stick. His right hand wasn’t able to grip it, and he needed more time to find the best way to make it work to his advantage. In spite of his troubles, he made an excellent keeper, able to block the puck with his skates on most attempts. 

Dan  _ could _ skate, but he had a hard time not flailing his arms to stay upright. This had resulted in an elbow directly to Antonio’s nose. Gio had never skated, but he was naturally very coordinated. He was easily the best player, but he refused to come back on the ice after being hit. He also spent the rest of the match glaring at Robert for dragging him here. A pair of black eyes were not his preferred accessory for the big date he had that weekend. 

An hour later, neither team had managed to score points. Kimi was beyond frustrated with them and the lack of respect they had for his game. So, Kubica decided to call it a day. 

None of them had learnt any hockey or team skills, but they were all laughing and shouting at each other. The entire group was having fun, and everyone was participating. Unity had been the point, and Robert felt like they had achieved it in some form or fashion. 


	5. The Gift

Robert had been looking at his watch almost every half hour. He had his third date with Inkeri tonight, and he was very excited. 

“Three more looks, and it will be time to go,” Dan joked, noticing the perfect frequency Robert checked the time with. He was the only one in the kitchen who could just feel when a certain amount of time had passed. 

“What?” Robert glanced over at the waiter, surprised out of his funk. 

“Kubica has a hot date tonight,” Giovinazzi explained, passing a plate of food through to Ricciardo. 

“A date?” George echoed, looking over at his boss. “What is this? The third time seeing the lovely mystery girl?” Robert nodded in answer, pretending to check over Lando’s bread dough. He didn’t want to admit how distracted he was, or worse, how nervous he was. 

“Big plan?” Lando asked, glad to see the boss a little less nitpicky. 

“She’s going to make dinner. There’s too much salt in the dough, Norris. You don’t get a commission for selling water,” he chided, moving further through the kitchen. Lando cringed. 

“You’re going to let someone else cook you dinner?” Gio asked, clearly shocked at this development. 

“Yea, is that wise? Can you stop from telling her every little thing that’s wrong?” Carlos chimed in, mimicking Kubica’s accent. “This is dry, the sauce lacks consistency, only peasants use this much garlic.” Robert paused his inspection, fixing Carlos with a hard stare. Sainz shrunk back a little, sensing how very not in the mood Kubica was for jokes. “Please don’t fire me,” he added quietly.

“Regardless of any technical details, I can appreciate the effort she is going to,” Kubica answered, knowing that didn’t exactly sound convincing. He absolutely could keep his opinions to himself. Besides, he was sure he could ‘help’ with the cooking. 

Two hours later, he found himself standing on the doorstep to Inkeri’s apartment. He knocked, but there was no answer. He tried again, hearing footsteps on the other side. 

“There’s been an incident, and I’m too embarrassed to let you in,” she said loudly, hoping he could hear her clearly through the door. 

“An incident? Are you alright?” he asked, wishing she would let him in. The door slowly opened just enough that her face was visible. 

“I’m fine, but the dinner is not,” she admitted, a small amount of smoke escaping through the crack. 

“I’m sure we can fix it,” he reassured, trying to grin at her. Inkeri opened the door wider, stepping back to let him in. 

The apartment was filled with smoke despite all of the windows being open. Kubica tried very hard not to let his jaw drop. 

“What happened?”

“Two separate things may have occurred that resulted in one very big tragedy,” she said, scrunching up her nose. “I’m… um… not a very good cook so I thought I’d try something simple.” Robert walked into the small kitchen, wondering just what that awful smell was. 

“Did you burn yourself?” he asked, starting to recognize it. Inkeri shook her head, gingerly holding up a blue sweater. The entire left sleeve was black and charred. 

“I forgot about my wool sweaters being in the oven, and I turned it on to preheat it. Only this guy bit the dust, but it still definitely created a big mess. Then,” she paused, waiting as Kubica walked over to the stove. 

“Did you catch potatoes on fire?” he asked, surprised at the sight of the burned potato. 

“It’s a gift,” she shrugged, holding her hands up. “Everything I touch just turns to shit,” she whined. 

“Looks like it turns to ash,” Kubica corrected, grinning. Inkeri started to smile at his joke, but her face quickly crumpled as she held back tears. “Oh no, I’m just kidding,” he said quickly, pulling her into a hug. Inkeri wrapped her arms around his waist, hiding her face against his chest. “We’ll just walk down to the market and get a few more ingredients. We can make something together.” 

“I’m really sorry,” she mumbled, the words barely audible. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he said, pulling away to look at her face. 

“You spend all day cooking. I’m sure it’s not how you want to also spend your non-working hours,” she continued, looking genuinely sad. Robert shrugged. 

“I don’t cook that much anymore. Besides, a big part of being a chef is loving to cook,” he reassured, holding out his hand. Inkeri took it, grinning at him. “Now, point me towards the nearest market, and we’ll make some magic.” Inkeri bit down on her bottom lip, sifling her laughter at his comment. 

“I don’t need groceries to make magic happen,” she winked, enjoying the way he was looking at her now. 

“Is it warm in here?” he asked, jokingly fanning himself. 

“It is, and it smells a little bit like burnt flesh,” Inkeri added, pulling him towards the front door. 

“So about these sweaters in the oven…” 

“The moths don’t bother them in there,” Inkeri replied matter-of-factly. 

“How silly of me,” Robert retracted, pretending that was a common thing to say. 

“So how was the date?” Gio asked the next morning. Robert grinned to himself, remembering how Inkeri had looked wrapped in nothing but the ‘I kiss better than I cook’ apron he had found at the market. 

“It was good,” he shrugged, continuing to chop mushrooms. He had to work very hard to keep a stern look on his face. 

“It was good? C’mon, give us some more details than that!” Dan complained, leaning against the counter. He had decided to hang around in the kitchen on his break instead of trying to flirt with the girl at the coffee shop next door. Robert knew it was just because he wanted to grill him. 

“Isn’t your break over?” Robert asked, glancing up at the clock. Dan frowned and let out a loud sigh. 

“If she’s not his ex, then it must have gone very well,” George shrugged. Everyone looked over at him, realising he probably had a point. They also knew Kubica wasn’t going to give up any more information. 

Kubica waited until the rest of the staff went back to their duties, finally letting a smile tug up the corners of his mouth. It was a  _ very  _ good night, indeed. 


	6. A Night Off

The restaurant was abnormally quiet for a Friday night. Alex had finished bussing the last two tables, sighing when he saw the restaurant was now empty. They were open for at least another hour, and things were definitely going to creep by now. 

“I guess we can draw straws on who stays until closing tonight,” Robert commented, wiping the counter down as he talked. He would definitely be staying, but he didn’t need to make the rest of the staff hang out with him. 

“I have a date tonight,” Antonio said slowly. He wasn’t normally one to volunteer personal information, so everyone turned to stare at him. 

“You have a what?” Dan asked, eyebrows raised. 

“I normally stay, so tonight it would be ok to leave early,” Gio shrugged, toying with the cord on his apron. 

“How long have you been hiding that?” Carlos questioned, doing a little shimmy as Lando hummed. Antonio went red, not pleased with the teasing. Robert held a hand up, giving the boys a stern look. 

“Alright, you go,” Robert agreed, waving Antonio off. Gio gave him a grateful smile, walking to the side door without another word. He hung up his apron and uniform shirt, not even giving the guys a wave as he left. 

“Ok, does anyone else have plans tonight?” Robert asked, seeing the staff all shaking their heads. 

Kubica knew Carlos and Lando were always happy to stay if they were both there. He also knew they had a very short attention span when left alone. It was a simple enough night, but Robert still didn’t feel like having to keep a close eye on them. 

“George,” Robert started, seeing the way his favourite staff member glanced over at Alex. Either they had plans, or George secretly wished they had plans. “You and Alex can go. Dan, you’ll stay.” Daniel gave him a nod, indicating he was alright with that. 

“Thanks, Rob,” George said quietly, untying his apron. Alex gave the boss a wave, following George to the cubbies they used. He grabbed his coat, zipping it up over his work uniform. He wrapped his scarf loosely around his neck, glad he’d come into work over-prepared.

Alex glanced at his watch, deciding to take a chance. “It’s still early. Want to grab a drink?” he asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. George looked a little surprised, but his expression melted into a grin.

“That actually sounds great,” he agreed, holding the door open for Alex. “Do you like that little place off the square?” 

“The one with the baked tortellini?” Alex asked, mouth already watering for the unique treat. George chuckled and nodded. “I know we cook Italian food all day, but I will never say no to the bastardized version,” he grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

They strolled in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the wind starting to kick up. George hadn’t planned ahead so he had not brought along a jacket like Alex had. He shivered slightly in the cold breeze, hoping Alex hadn’t noticed. 

Alex definitely had, though. He unwound his scarf, tossing it around George’s shoulders. George looked at him gratefully, wrapping it around his neck. It smelled like Alex, and he tried not to be too obvious as he sniffed it, taking comfort in the familiarity. 

The cafe was similarly slow, only a few tables having patrons. It looked like the whole city was deciding to stay home tonight. 

\--

Across town, Antonio was taking a few extra minutes to look at himself in the mirror. He wasn’t naturally bold, so a first date was always nerve wracking for him. He held up a different jumper, wondering which was the best choice. 

His phone beeped, and he was very glad he’d set an alarm. Otherwise, he would have been very late. Deciding that his burgundy jumper was fine, he grabbed his leather jacket, shoving his hands into the sleeves and grabbing his keys in one smooth motion. 

He pulled up in front of the apartment building, feeling a little bit sheepish that Evelyn was already waiting outside for him. She must have been freezing in her short dress, but she was wearing a giant smile anyway. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he apologised, holding out a second helmet for her. Evelyn took it, not fussing about the lack of warning. She snapped the helmet on and tossed her leg over the cafe racer, carefully situating herself behind him. 

“Fifteen minutes is practically early for you,” she laughed, carefully pinching the loose fabric of her skirt between her thigh and the body of the bike. “As long as you don’t do anything crazy, I think I can manage without flashing everyone.” Antonio grinned and turned to look at her, only seeing her out of one eye as her head was nearly resting on his shoulder. 

“I guess you should hold on tight,” he suggested, revving the bike. Evelyn chuckled, wrapping her arms a little tighter around him. 

\--

“Is it hard having your mum living so far away?” George asked, knowing how much he struggled with being away from his family sometimes. 

“Sometimes. I’m sure you know what it’s like,” Alex deflected. He missed his mother, and it was hard to talk about. 

“My parents are just in England. It’s not such a bad flight,” George explained, shifting in his chair. He stretched out his long legs, letting one rest against Alex’. He felt warm at the contact, but Alex didn’t pull away. 

“I’ll admit Thailand is a bit harder to get to,” Alex admitted, grinning. He tapped his fingers against the table for a moment, thinking through his next words. “Having people here really helps.” 

George looked up. Alex was looking at him, his gaze never wavering. He smiled, and George felt his cheeks heat. Feeling emboldened by the alcohol, the late hour, or just the way Alex was staring at him, George reached over, resting his hand on top of Alex’. 

“It definitely does,” he agreed, letting out a breath when Alex turned his hand to link their fingers. 

“So on a scale of one to five,” Alex started, sitting up a bit straighter and leaning over the table. “How badly do we not want Dan finding out about this?” George barked out a laugh, not exactly expecting that. 

“Definitely a five,” George nodded, already imagining all of the jokes their workmate would have. “He’s going to have so many things to make fun of. He’s already convinced I’m a boring shut in.” 

Alex leaned further over the table. He paused for just a moment, waiting to see if George would move away. When he didn’t, Alex brushed his lips against George’s. 

“I don’t think you’re boring,” he murmured, giving him another small kiss before sitting back in his chair. 

\--

The next morning, most of Robert’s staff arrived to work looking a little bit tired and a large bit happy. Carlos and Lando were always happy lately, well past the point of trying to hide their flirting. Dan was perpetually smiling, so that wasn’t new. 

What was new were the little grins Alex and George shared. Alex looked like the cat that ate the canary, while George’s cheeks were perpetually pink. 

“Hey, you forgot your phone this morning,” Inkeri said, interrupting his train of thought. Robert looked away from his staff, blinking at her. “Uh oh, I see smoke coming out of your ears. What are you trying to puzzle out?” she asked, teasing him. Kubica looked very unamused, but he kissed her cheek anyway. 

“I think the entire kitchen is in love,” he commented, taking the phone from her. “Thanks for bringing this, by the way. You didn’t have to come all the way here for that.” Inkeri shrugged. 

“I was already in the area and figured you might need it.” She paused, looking over his expression. It wasn’t  _ one _ emotion, exactly, but she had a pretty good idea what it was. “You left it on purpose,” she realised, grinning. She’d caught him. 

“Maybe,” he said dismissively, not looking at her directly. 

“You know, you could just ask to come over. I think we’re past the point of excuses,” she told him. “You’re there most nights anyway.” Kubica considered this. 

“I guess I could just be there every night.” He made sure to say it casually, casting a very cautious glance at her. Inkeri had a big smile on her face. 

“You could make that sacrifice?” she smirked, shaking her head at his delivery. “I’m ok with it, though,” she winked, resting her elbows on the bar. “So who’s in love?” 

Kubica turned towards the kitchen, starting to tell her about the little changes in each of his staff members. 


	7. Elaborate Jokes

George tried not to look too excited as he walked into the restaurant. He could see shining red decorations hanging throughout, and he couldn’t resist taking a trip through the dining room to see how fancy it looked. 

Red hearts and streamers hung from the ceiling, and there were red and pink balloons tied to barstools. The windows had been outlined in red lights, and the usual beige tablecloths had been swapped for pink. 

“Have you seen…” he trailed off, getting hug-tackled by Alex. He wrapped his arms around the waiter’s waist, grinning at the little kiss Alex pressed to his cheek. 

“Don’t mention it,” Alex whispered, stepping back quickly as more people showed up. 

“Valentine’s blew chunks all over the dining room,” Dan laughed loudly. The staff who had arrived on time all cringed. 

Robert took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose. He looked like he was counting to ten before briefly walking outside. 

“Inkeri did all that before Rob got here,” Alex told them, trying to hide his grin. 

“She broke in to decorate?” Lando asked. 

“I gave her the keys,” Antonio shrugged, smirking as Kubica came back in. Robert’s calm expression shifted a little bit as some of the guys laughed. 

“Alright, everyone. Circle up,” Kubica announced, rubbing his hands together as he thought through the busy evening ahead. “This is going to be a hectic one, so I need all of you to focus,” he continued, glancing between Carlos and Lando. 

Lando started to protest, but Carlos patted his down quickly. He knew they could both get distracted. From behind Robert, Daniel made an exaggerated ‘I’m watching you’ gesture, pointing his fingers at them. 

“We’re going to be multitasking a lot. I’ll take over the food we’re sending out to the dining room; Antonio will be handling the takeaway orders. There’s a special menu tonight, and we can’t deviate from it,” he explained, handing out the paper menus he'd made up. 

“It’s pretty simple so we don’t get too overwhelmed in the kitchen. They pick an appetizer, two main dishes, and a dessert. That’s the options,” Gio continued, taking over from Kubica. 

Robert stepped away for a moment, catching sight of Inkeri standing in the doorway to the alley next to the restaurant. She was wearing a headband with two little hearts suspended on springs. 

“You’re very festive,” he commented, not expecting this side of her. Inkeri was normally reserved, and since she almost entirely skipped Christmas, he just hadn’t been prepared. 

“Pretty cute, right?” she asked, grinning at him. Kubica’s placid expression slipped a little, and he chuckled under his breath at her. “It started out as a joke, but then it just got really fun,” she admitted, gesturing in the direction of the dining room. “Gio was supposed to get a picture of how horrified you looked when you saw it, but…” she shrugged, trailing off. 

“It’s actually a lot worse than I imagined,” he joked, poking one of the hearts on her headband. Inkeri laughed, swatting at his hands as he went to jab the other one. 

“Alright, get back to work. I’ll be back later for my date with Evelyn. We’re going to make good use of that whole 2 for 1 special,” Inkeri told him, bouncing her eyebrows for effect. 

“Make sure she picks on Gio as much as you pick on me.” 

“I don’t pick on you, Kubica. I lovingly tease,” she said, gently poking him in the chest. “But, don’t worry. Evelyn is even worse than I am.” Kubica grabbed her hand, holding it above her head to twirl her around. 

“I love you, too. Now go away, holiday rush.” Kubica gave her a gentle push forward, shaking his head as he could hear her laughing as she walked back up to the street. Inkeri waved over her head.

“So who in here is coupled up?” Evelyn asked, leaning in. She had a glass of white wine in her right hand and a fork in the other, poised over her salad. Inkeri looked around, using her own fork to gesture to people as she talked. 

“Alex, the beautiful brown-eyed waiter over here, is secretly dating George,” Inkeri began, subtly pointing to the kitchen. “He’s adorable, and they both think no one has any suspicions. Lando, that curly baby making the rolls,” she continued, leaning back so Evelyn could move forward to peek into the ready window. “He’s with Carlos, luscious hair over there. They’ve been together for probably a year now. They tried to be very subtle about it, but Carlos can’t keep his hands off Lando, and Lando can’t stop blushing every time Carlos so much as looks at him. Luckily, they gave up and just admitted it.” 

Evelyn grinned, learning her head down to look at the rest of the boys working in the back. She wasn’t familiar with Antonio’s working life, but she wanted to take an interest. He was always so hesitant to talk about himself, and she hoped this would encourage him to open up. 

“It seems like a really nice group Robert’s assembled,” she said, nodding to herself. “He seems like a really good leader, too. Antonio talks a lot about how Rob supports the group. He looks stone cold on the outside, but I bet there’s a gooey center,” Evelyn grinned, leaning back in her chair. 

“It takes a lot of chiseling, but there’s a softie way deep down,” Inkeri confessed, looking fondly over at Kubica. He caught her eye as he stepped up to put some entrees at the ready window. Kubica grinned at her, disappearing back into the kitchen. “He’s really fond of Gio. They’re always a little more in tune with recipes and stuff.” Inkeri watched Evelyn closely for a moment. The younger girl looked totally besotted with Antonio. Inkeri was very happy to see it because she thought Gio deserved something fantastic. 

A few hours later, the rush had finally ended. It was a bit past ten p.m., but Evelyn and Inkeri were still hanging out in the dining room. The rest of the kitchen crew had scrubbed up and joined the rest of the staff out in the front. 

Inkeri and Evelyn had pulled two of the small tables together, making a space big enough for all of them. They were all tired of cooking, so there was no food, just plenty of wine being passed around. 


End file.
